Chic Lisburn Road boutique, Blush, has just announced the winner of its fifthannual ‘Face of Blush’ competition following a beautiful and intimate judging event at the Merchant Hotel this month. The lucky bride-to-be is Fionnuala Bradyfrom Rostrevor who now can enjoy the run-up to her big day as she chooses dresses for both herself and her lucky mother from the store’s stunning collections.

A trainee actuary based in Cambridgeshire, Fionnualawill also be featured on Blush’s advertising campaign for the next twelve months following a one-on-one photo shoot with renowned fashion photographer Khara Pringle. On the day itself, when she will tie the knot withChris Gonzalez in France, Fionnuala will benefit from having her hair professionally styled by Lynette Murray from Blue Hairdressing and make-up by award-winning make up artist Caoimhe Curran. Also provided for this year’s winner is a range of highly sought after cosmetic treatments by facial specialist Martina Collins which will surely add to the experience of Fionnuala’s fairy-tale wedding.

The judging panel that was faced with the difficult task of choosing from the 14 finalists included Belfast FASHIONWEEK Director Cathy Martin, make up artist to the stars Paddy McGurgan, celebrated photographer Khara Pringle and magazine editor Emma Deighan from IN! magazine.

Director of Blush, Aileen Wilson said of the winner, “We are absolutely thrilled that Fionnuala will be the face of our advertising campaign for the next 12 months. She has shown such enthusiasm and a real sense of professionalism in any dealings we have already had with her so I am really excited about working with her this year. A Blush bride can be any woman of any age, so we were delighted to receive entries from both older and younger entrants. Fionnuala captures the spirit of our store perfectly – she has grace, poise, a sense of fun and is brimming with love, as every bride should be. We believe that Khara will capture this spirit in her forthcoming shoot for our campaign.”

In the opulent setting of the Private Dining Room at the Merchant Hotel, judge Cathy Martin added: “As judges, we had a particularly tough time trying to pick a winner from the high calibre entries including books, intricate picture frames, a massive cake and much more from right across Ireland. And we even had to conduct an interview by Skype with a fantastic entrant based in Abu Dhabi! We found Fionnuala encapsulated all that a Blush Bride should be in terms of her natural beauty and dedication to the whole process.”

After hearing the announcement that she would be the new Face of Blush for 2013 Fionnuala said, “I truly am over the moon to have been chosen as the winner. Part of the judging process was to spend the morning with the other brides and even look at their entries – which were beyond creative! The girls were all so friendly and, to me, they’re all Blush brides, but I do feel very special now that I have won. I am honoured to represent Blush Boutique as it has the best selection to choose from out of all the shops that I visited. Plus the service from the staff is second to none.”

The application process kicked off last summer and saw hundreds of hopeful fiancées from all over Ireland vie for the prestigious title for this sought-after store which sees women travel hundreds of miles to view their exclusive collections.